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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. chair — a leader
  7. degree — from a university
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. charge — a price
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com